There are various forms of competitive action games involving a degree of skill wherein opposing players receive and return a ball toward each other. Such games include those where the players directly oppose each other and strike the ball to launch it towards each other, such as table tennis, and those where the players launch the ball toward each other by bouncing it off of an intermediate upright surface, such as handball and the like.
Such direct action physical games have been well received because the participants develop a sense of timing as well as physical dexterity. This invention is directed towards meeting a need and desire in the art to provide a direct action competitive game involving the element of receiving and launching a ball towards opposing players and only limited space is required for the play of the game.
In accordance therewith, the present invention is directed, in brief, to the provision of an improved competitive action game and includes a frame or table having a playing surface supported thereon. The playing surface is sloped downwardly from a generally transverse upstanding central barrier or net defining opposed playing areas. A hard ball is provided and the playing areas are resiliently supported to dampen the rebounding or bouncing effect of the ball as it is projected over the net to permit the ball to roll down the sloped playing surface for receiving by the opposing player. A pair of projecting devices are provided, one for each player of the game, for receiving the ball and launching or projecting the ball across the net onto the opponet's playing area. The projecting devices include a lower chute portion for scooping the ball off of the playing surface and a drive means for directing the ball through an upper chute portion for directing the ball back across the net. The upper chute portion is pivotally mounted to permit the user to direct the ball toward a particular portion of the opposing player's playing area. The drive means includes an electrically driven resilient roller which engages the ball and ejects it through the upper chute portion.
Other objects, features and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following detailed description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings.